Thin film deposition apparatus, method of manufacturing organic light-emitting display device by using the apparatus, and organic light-emitting display device manufactured by using the method

Abstract

A thin film deposition apparatus that includes a thin film deposition assembly incorporating: a deposition source that discharges a deposition material; a deposition source nozzle unit that is disposed at a side of the deposition source and includes a plurality of deposition source nozzles arranged in a first direction; a patterning slit sheet that is disposed opposite to the deposition source nozzle unit and includes a plurality of patterning slits arranged in the first direction; and a barrier plate assembly including a plurality of barrier plates that are disposed between the deposition source nozzle unit and the patterning slit sheet in the first direction, and partition a space between the deposition source nozzle unit and the patterning slit sheet into a plurality of sub-deposition spaces, wherein each of the barrier plates is separate from the patterning slit sheet.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display device by using a thin film deposition apparatus comprising a thin film deposition assembly, the thin film deposition assembly comprising:
 a deposition source that comprises an opening and discharges a deposition material contained therein; 
 a deposition source nozzle unit that is disposed at a side of the deposition source and comprises a plurality of deposition source nozzles arranged in a first direction; 
 a patterning slit sheet that is disposed opposite to the deposition source nozzle unit and comprises a plurality of patterning slits arranged in the first direction; 
 a plurality of barrier pipes that are disposed on a surface of the deposition source nozzle unit facing the patterning slit sheet or on a surface of the deposition source nozzle unit opposite to the patterning slit sheet, the plurality of barrier pipes respectively corresponding to the plurality of deposition source nozzles, and 
 the method comprising: 
 fixedly supporting a substrate by a chuck; 
 spacing the substrate from the patterning slit sheet and adjacent to the patterning slit sheet so that no element is interposed between the substrate and the patterning slit sheet; 
 depositing the deposition material on the substrate to form a thin film; and 
 moving the thin film deposition assembly including the patterning slit sheet, or the substrate fixedly supported by the chuck relative to each other while depositing the deposition material on the substrate, 
 wherein, in depositing the deposition material on the substrate, the deposition material is discharged from the deposition source and passed through the deposition source nozzle unit, the barrier pipes, and the patterning slit sheet. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising controlling a temperature of the barrier pipes using a barrier pipes temperature control unit of the thin film deposition apparatus. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising maintaining the temperature of the barrier pipes using the barrier pipes temperature control unit at a first temperature while depositing the thin film on the substrate, and at a second temperature higher than the first temperature while not depositing the thin film on the substrate. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising controlling the temperature of the barrier pipes using the barrier pipes temperature control unit to be higher while not depositing the thin film on the substrate than while depositing the thin film on the substrate. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising maintaining the temperature of the barrier pipes using the barrier pipes temperature control unit to be lower than a vaporization temperature of the deposition material while depositing the thin film on the substrate, and to be higher than the vaporization temperature of the deposition material while not depositing the thin film on the substrate. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of barrier pipes are disposed on the surface of the deposition source nozzle unit facing the patterning slit sheet, a distance from the patterning slit sheet to an end of the barrier pipes closest to the patterning slit sheet being greater than a length of the barrier pipes, and
 wherein, in depositing the deposition material on the substrate, the deposition material is passed through the deposition source nozzle unit before being passed through the barrier pipes, and the deposition material is passed from the end of the barrier pipes to the patterning slit sheet through the distance that is greater than the length of the barrier pipes after being passed through the barrier pipes. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of barrier pipes are arranged at equal intervals. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a temperature using at least one of a cooling plate of the deposition source nozzle unit or a hot wire of the barrier pipes. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the barrier pipes is separate from the patterning slit sheet. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the patterning slit sheet is smaller than the substrate in at least one of the first direction or a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the deposition material discharged from the thin film deposition assembly is continuously deposited on the substrate while the substrate and the thin film deposition assembly are moved relative to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.